It is the exporter's responsibility to ensure that the animal meets the importing country requirements. Additional information to assist exporters with how to prepare reproductive material for export is available on the Department’s website.

Information about the process required to import animals into Italy from Australia can be found by referring to the EU website.

Contact the Italian Directorate-General for Animal Health and Veterinary Medicines for additional requirements that may apply.

Note

Where an importing country issues an import permit, the exporter must ensure the animal meets any requirements in the permit.

Health certification

Australian Departmental officers will only endorse health certification for reproductive material destined to the EU if it is written in English and, where required, an official language of the EU Member State of the BIP where the animals will enter the EU.

Australian Departmental officers will not endorse health certification for reproductive material destined to the EU if only presented in a language other than English.

Health certificate

I ______________________________________, an official veterinarian for the government of Australia, certify to the best of my knowledge that:

1. Australia is free from Varroa destructor, tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) and Tropilaelaps spp.

   The Department issues certification for country freedom based on advice obtained from the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

2. The bees from which semen for export was sourced are from apiaries that have had no reported cases of the following bee diseases for at least the last 6 months prior to export:
   1. American Foulbrood (AFB) (Paenibacillus larvae)
      
   2. European Foulbrood (EFB) (Melissococcus plutoniu)
      

   These diseases are nationally notifiable in Australia.

   The Department issues certification based on declarations from the state or territory veterinary authority of no reports of AFB or EFB in the apiary/ies of origin during the 6 months prior to export.

3. Five percent (5%) of the colonies have been randomly selected (or for apiaries with 5 or fewer colonies, all colonies have been selected) from each of the apiaries from which semen for export was sourced, for inspection for AFB and EFB. This occurred within 30 days of export and no evidence of AFB or EFB was found

   The Department issues certification based on a declaration from the government apiary officer who inspected the apiaries within 30 days of export.

4. Australia is free from clinical or epidemiological evidence of African honey bees (Apis mellifera scultellata) and Africanized honey bee hybrids including European honey bee hybrids with Africanized honey bees.

   The Department issues certification based on evidence from surveillance programs implemented through the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program and import controls.
   

5. The bees from which semen for export was sourced are from hives that were inspected within 30 days of export. At the time of inspection the bees appeared healthy and did not show any symptoms of contagious bee diseases.

   The Department issues certification based on a declaration from the government apiary officer who inspected the apiaries within 30 days of export.

Based on conditions that were agreed in June 2018 and importing country website and information.

Entry last reviewed 12 January 2022.